Five dead as blaze completely engulfs Ohio home in Thanksgiving horror

24 November 2023 , 03:02

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Five people have been confirmed dead (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Five people have been confirmed dead in a blaze that engulfed an Ohio building.

The residential fire started on Thursday morning in Athens County, according to a spokesperson for the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office. Firefighters were called to a residence along Rainbow Lake Road before the fire completely engulfed the building leaving structure heavily damaged.

Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire. The Thanksgiving tragedy comes a day after an explosion killed two people on the U.S - Canada border. The deadly blast rang out at a checkpoint on the American side of a US-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls, killing two and leaving a border officer injured and forcing the international border crossing to close in both directions.

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Witnesses described the terrifying scene as a fireball erupted amid traffic before drivers were told to walk back over the bridge towards the US and abandon their cars. After initial fears of a terrorist attack, investigators may now be considering a reckless driver theory after the vehicle had reportedly been seen at a casino before the crash, law enforcement told CNN.

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Firefighters were called to a residence along Rainbow Lake Road before the fire completely engulfed the building leaving structure heavily damaged (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Horrifying CCTV from the border checkpoint shows drivers approaching the barriers at the Niagara Falls bridge as a car enters the frame from the left in the background. The white vehicle travels at 100mph before taking off from the ground and soaring through the air over queuing traffic below - seconds before bursting into a deadly ball of flames.

Shocked witnesses say the flames shot 40ft into the air before thick, black smoke poured from the fiery crash site. The car exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a US-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls, leaving two dead and a border officer injured, forcing the international border crossing to close in both directions.

Witnesses described the terrifying scene as a fireball erupted (@KatiePurkiss /Twitter)

While sources initially described the explosion as an attempted terror attack, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has tonight told a press conference there was "no indication of a terrorist attack". She added: "Based on what we know at this moment....there is no sign of terrorist activity in this crash."

Abigail O'Leary